Food System

Many experts believe regenerative agriculture, also known as carbon farming, could play an important role in fighting climate change. Even a backyard carbon-rich garden can make a difference. Get tips on starting your own soil-building garden from regenerative farmer Acadia Tucker.Continue Reading

Food System

Sourcing local food for school lunches is, presumably, a win-win: students get fresh, local food and area farmers have new, consistent marketing options. "If only it were that simple!" writes local food system advocate Brandi Janssen. Here she shares some of the lessons learned when she helped start a farm to school program in an Iowa school district. Despite a slow start, that program has grown tenfold in seven years. Continue Reading

Food System

The image of the family farmer holds a special place in the hearts Americans. Fifty years ago a small family farm would probably have been passed down from one generation to the next, or sold to another small family farmer. These days it’s much more likely that the land will pass into the hands of a large-scale farm.Continue Reading

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Food System

While the convenience of single-serve coffee systems is celebrated by many, the appliance’s darker side—the mountains of unrecyclable waste—is equally abhorred by sustainably-minded folks. Fortunately, alternatives have been popping up on the market that allow you to keep enjoying that hot cup of coffee when you want it while reducing plastic waste and capturing the used coffee grounds for compost.Continue Reading

Food System

In the past six years, the number of community food forests has grown from a handful to more than 70. But what are community food forests, and why are they capturing the imagination of people in neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the United States?Continue Reading

Food System

Ozone is a well-known and interesting gas. It is thought of as a “good” gas when present in the stratosphere, where it forms the ozone layer sitting 15 to 30 kilometers above Earth that protect life from detrimental ultraviolet radiation.Continue Reading

Food System

Planting pollinator gardens, avoiding pesticide use, and buying local honey are important actions you can take to support pollinators, but here’s another idea to add to the list: reducing light pollution.Continue Reading

Food System, Eco Living

If you’ve wanted to start growing food but don’t have much space, the answer may be right in front of you — your front yard, that is. Front yard vegetable gardens are a growing trend. Nevertheless, some people don’t even consider growing food in the front yard because they think it might look messy or lead to neighbor complaints. Those folks should think again, says Natalie Carver, horticultural director for Love and Carrots, a company that designs, installs, and maintains urban vegetable gardens for homeowners throughout the Washington D.C. metro area.Continue Reading

Food System, Innovation

If you follow food trends, it seems that we’re having a reckoning with the all-American hamburger right now. Here’s a look at the changing burger landscape, just in time for Memorial Day.Continue Reading

Food System

The city and town names may change, but the stories are strikingly similar. Every year, new tales of urban gardeners who are cited for “illegally” growing food in their yards or on vacant lots bubble up. Find out how some home gardeners are fighting these charges, and what you can do if your front yard garden get cited.Continue Reading